Wednesday Food Blogging

Prepared for disaster

I hoard food the way some people hoard cats. I often joke that I could survive 6 months of nuclear winter based on the contents of my pantry. Except it's not just my pantry, it's my cabinets, my lazy susan, my laundry room, even my living room has food stashed here and there. (We keep the heat off in there, so it's the perfect place to store some semi-perishables.)

Finally, thanks to Cottontimer, I can calculate how long I can actually last should I ever become trapped in my own home. I estimated I have around 500 pounds of food. Fortunately, it was time to overhaul my kitchen anyway, so I actually counted the contents of my various cupboards.

Some statistics: 20 cans of black beans. 21 tins of tomatoes. 25 boxes of pasta. And I think 17 containers of soup gives new meaning to the phrase "soup for days."

The way food prices are rising, maybe it's not such a psychological failing to hoard food in such quantities. Those baked beans could be like gold in a year's time.

Try it yourself. How long could you last, if say, a bird flu pandemic hit and you couldn't leave your house?

Created by OnePlusYou

Giving up meat for Lent?

Giving up meat for Lent? Here are ten tips for keeping your resolution, all year long:

•Fake it. It's very easy to replace meat with fake meat products, now readily available in any supermarket. Soy-based crumbles can be used virtually identically to their beef-based counterparts. Make tacos with soy crumbles, using a little oil to saute the crumbles. Add a packet of taco seasoning (use less water than the package calls for) and you'll hardly notice the difference in taste. (I also like to add a quarter cup of minced onion.) You can also use soy crumbles in spaghetti, lasagna, or other recipes calling for ground beef.

•Geometry 101. Think of your plate as a circle, not a Chinet-style divided plate with spots for meat and two veg. Layer your plate, starting with a grain, such as rice, pasta, polenta, or quinoa, topping that with veggies and beans, or veggies and tofu, chili, or a rich etouffee. Add a nice sauce, and you won't miss the meat.

•Go global. Instead of asking which type of animal you'll eat tonight—chicken, cow or fish—instead ask which continent you'll eat from. Asian stir-fry? European pasta? American Southwestern? Indian curry? Moroccan tagine? Ethiopian stew?

•Cool beans! Beans are the beginning of many an exciting vegetarian meal. First, decide on a color: Black  white, red, pink (pinto), or polka dot (cranberry). Choose something in your size: tiny lentils (green, black, brown, or red) or gigante beans? Then, check your watch: do you have time to soak dried beans (either overnight or 6-8 hours may be enough)? If you want dinner in 30 minutes, it's best to use canned. Plus: beans, whether canned or dried, are one of the most economical foods available, and offer plenty of protein for growing bodies as well.

•The grainy picture. Stumped for what to eat for dinner? Go with the grain: rice, barley, quinoa, millet, risotto, bulgur, or the old standby, pasta. Whole grains are high in protein, especially quinoa, so there's no need for a protein side kick.

•The star of the show! Don't forget veggies! What's in your bin? Broccoli, a winter veg that's available year round, keeps a while in the fridge, as do many cruciferous vegetables. It's good to keep a head or two hiding in the fridge. Other vegetables are more seasonal. If your veggie bins are empty, don't despair! Canned tomatoes are perfect substitutes for fresh, and frozen spinach works as well (and is cheaper!) than its fresh counterpart, in many dishes. Frozen peas, jarred artichokes, dried corn—all these are pantry stable and provide a beginning for a quick veggie meal.

•Don't have a cow! Don't be tempted to substitute cheese, dairy and eggs for the meat you've given up. You're doing yourself no favors when it comes to cholesterol and fat, and if it's ethics that drives you, those dairy cows and layer hens are treated horribly much longer, and meet their end in the same way as animals raised for their meat. The environmental cost of dairy and eggs is also tremendous. Best to use dairy and eggs very sparingly, if at all. Check out Vegcooking.com for hundreds of dairy and egg free recipes.

•Buy the book. A vegan cookbook or two will add wonders to your kitchen. If vegetarian cooking is new to you, there's nothing like the reliable and knowledgeable experts available at your nearest bookshop. Many contain complete menus, which are helpful to new vegetarians in planning out a complete meal.

•Don't follow the book! Vegetarians, especially, make use of a little creativity when adapting recipes, either the tried and true recipes of our youth, or today's hottest new cuisine. Don't be afraid to improvise! Would tofu cacciatore work? Smoked tempeh instead of sausage? Seitan on skewers instead of shrimp? Pizza with spinach and potato instead of pepperoni?

•Ten recipes. That's right, most families have a total of ten standby recipes they make on a daily basis. Tacos one night, spaghetti the next, lentil roast on Sunday. Find ten vegetarian recipes you and your family like and commit them, more or less, to memory. Keep the ingredients on hand in your pantry or fridge, and you'll always have something to make for dinner.